'So…what profession do I choose?'
'Lets see…Blacksmith's good, but it'll take far too long for me to get anything out of it'
'Runesmith is also good…but I'm not a mage and I can't study for long…which means that Formation Master is also out of the picture'
'So…can I only study alchemy?...well, this is troublesome'
A few minutes had passed when Ezra suddenly had an epiphany.
*Facepalm*
"How could I forget? I'm not a nobody anymore. I'm a prince of an Empire!"
Right! Blacksmith, Runesmith and even Alchemy would take time and resources to master.
And Ezra didn't have such time.
Which is quite ironic, considering he's only five years old.
But…what was the reason why he could nonchalantly say that he wanted to study alchemy?
It was because he was now a prince! To be precise, it was because he now had abundant resources.
Where others would start from scratch, he had the Royal Alchemists to pave the way.
No, even if it was blacksmithing or rune smithing, the Empire was simply too big for it not to have affiliates of every notable profession.
And thinking further, this profession was but a side gig. He wasn't planning on being a Grandmaster or even an expert.
It would make him stronger mentally, true, but he couldn't lose sight of what was really important.
Thinking about it now, rather than learning a profession, he could very well master a new weapon or look for a new technique.
Nevertheless, the real reason he was so quick to pick Alchemy was simply because…
'I found it fun'
This was it.
Now that he realized it, he suddenly thought…
'Hmm, I'm a prince with very abundant resources, be it material or connections…If so…why should I pick only one?!'
A puzzling question was asked and more came right after.
'Hmm, am I aspiring to become a master in my profession?' Ezra asked himself.
'No' the answer was crystal clear.
'I have the resources that would make so many die with envy, and coupled with my memories…becoming an Expert shouldn't be too hard, right?'
Ezra wasn't sure, but he thought that reaching Expert level, or at least Journeyman level, should be very well possible.
And if so…
'I'll do things as they come'
With that confirmation, Ezra headed for the alchemists chambers.
—------------------------------
*knock*knock*
Two floors were located below the castle.
The first housed the alchemist chambers.
And below that was the prison for high level criminals.
I was knocking on the door to the lair of an alchemist right now.
No one answered for the next few seconds and, thinking that they hadn't heard, I knocked again, though…a little harder if I might add.
*Knock*Knock*
"Hmm…is no one at home?" I said, feeling irritated, before hitting it even louder.
*KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*
And yet, still nothing.
Normally, I would have left, but with mana vision, I could barely discern a silhouette with a blue outline.
It wasn't much, but I was certain that someone was inside.
The door was made of wood, sure, but I could see mana moving around in specific shapes inside it.
These were runes, some far too advanced for me. Wait, what am I saying? I only ever studied the most basic of runes, and even then, it was sorely lacking.
Well, mostly because I was hung on sword fights all the time.
But that's beside the point.
Now, back to the present.
From what little I could glean, this was a design that uses multiple runes in what is called an array or formation.
As for whether it was for support, defense or offense? Or maybe all of them? Don't ask me.
Not to mention looking past the door, merely using mana sight on it was causing a serious headache.
And of course, while I was thinking all this, I never stopped knocking the door.
Then, after a whole minute passed-
*BREAK*
-I heard the sound of something breaking.
My mind whirred as I subconsciously stopped knocking.
This was an alchemist lair…and something just broke!
'Oh, no!' I thought.
I was alarmed.
If what I thought was correct, and it was very likely that it was correct…
'I'll come back later'
But before I got get the heck outta there-
*Bam*
"Which b*stard is responsible for this?! Haven't I told you countless times not to interrupt my work?!"
-an old man in brown clothing struck the door open with a bang and hollered at me as his aura climbed higher by the second.
'Well, I found who I looking for' I smiled sarcastically as I thought so
Mr. Bard, as he was called, was emanating a hazy blue color.
But I noticed something-
"Damn it! I was so close to perfecting my formula!"
-he hadn't noticed me yet.
I was tall for my age, but when compared to the man in front of me, I was sorely lacking.
Adding to the fact that I was near him…he didn't see me.
"Huh? Did they run-
I just had to open my big mouth, didn't I? Because…
-away"
At this moment, his gaze fell on me-
"Kuuugh"
-and I felt my breath grow thinner.
'Damn!'
I knew this feeling…I knew it all too well.
This feeling of suffocation.
I felt overwhelmed by the sheer pressure he was exuding.
It was like the world was suppressing me, but…
'I'm no small fry either'
And…
'I'm done bowing or kneeling'
With such thoughts, I began to actively resist by countering it with my own aura as I pushed my mana to the max.
Meanwhile…
"Oh?" the old man, Bard Vertid, let out a low exclamation upon seeing such a scene.
Honestly, he had already decided that whoever it was would have to sleep in the underground prison for at least two weeks.
And even then, they should be thankful that he didn't have them executed.
But he found a brat whose height wasn't up to his waistline standing there.
Without saying a word, Bard released just enough pressure to make him pee himself and beg for forgiveness, or, if he wasn't at all strong, faint.
He wouldn't put a kid in prison, but he would still teach him some manners at the very least.
And yet…
'What is this?'
Honestly, it was baffling, no, it was beyond baffling.
A kid who couldn't be older than eleven was resisting the aura of someone at Master-rank.
Of course, it wasn't even five percent of his power, but…
'That's not supposed to be possible'
And yet, what he was seeing said it was.
But that's not even the most baffling thing about the situation.
'What is that aura?'
This was…the black aura that the kid was emanating was something else.
It was thick enough to seem like smoke, which was something you'd only see in a war veteran or at least an Expert-rank Knight.
With such abnormal traits, the man couldn't help but think…
'Who is this kid?'
Now, rather than being angry, he was surprised and amazed too.
But he was also displeased that he - a Master-rank - couldn't make the kid kneel.
And so, he made up his mind.
'Hmph! Even so, I'll have to teach this kid a lesson'
He increased the pressure a little more as he thought…
'Let's see what you'll do'
No, he wasn't a sadist and there were no cruel smile on his lips, but a stone hard face.
Bard would never admit it, but his pride was wounded at this moment.
But then again, which Master-rank wouldn't be?
And of course, Ezra felt the change immediately.
"Ughhh"
He felt his legs go weak and his head grow dizzy.
But-
'No, not yet!' he thought as he spread his legs and stomped on the floor to make a firm stance, while making sure to push himself.
He noticed, surprisingly, that he wasn't yet at his limits.
'Sure enough, I've grown stronger' Ezra thought as he clenched his fists, a thin smile growing on his face as he looked at his now sweaty body.
'This…this is good training!'
His mindset immediately changed.
His body was enduring a lot of pressure, but the old man didn't seem intent on forcing him.
As Ezra observed, the pressure wasn't increasing.
Rather than forcing him to kneel, this almost seemed like-
'An endurance test'
'Ahh!' Ezra realized the ploy and raised his head, which was facing the ground till now, and gazed into the eyes of the old man.
As he thought…
'He wants to see how far I'll go'
And if so…
'Then I have to make a good first impression'
Ezra's smile only deepened, as he felt the inner workings of his body.
He was using mana to reinforce his body, making it capable of resisting the pressure.
But that was all, resisting.
He couldn't even lift a finger at this moment without causing his body to falter.
But thinking about it from another standpoint, Ezra thought…
'What if he was an enemy?'
Yes! What if the person was an enemy?
Would he just stand there like a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered?
'No, I would have to move, and constantly too'
And so he began searching his memories for an answer.
He quickly found many, but-
'I can't use them at this moment'
-they weren't viable for his current situation.
'I have to use what I have right now'
So…what did he have?
He had blood coated with poison running through his veins, but…
'That'll never reach him, and even if it did, it won't affect him much'
He had techniques that would allow him to move momentarily, but…
'There's no guarantee that I will be able to get near him, and there's even less guarantee that I'll be able to touch, not to mention harm, him'
Of course, he had overflowing mana and an absurd mana regeneration speed.
But it was only overflowing for someone at the same level as him, or someone at the entry level of the next rank.
Comparing him to a Master was like pouring a pool of water into the ocean.
It would hardly cause more than a ripple.
But it was also these two traits that were helping him the most now.
Reinforcing his body with mana was like taking a bath.
Should the water finish or the tap be shut, the body would eventually turn dry.
Now though, Ezra could be said to be taking a bath right above a fireplace.
The unholy pressure he was feeling is the fire, while the mana he used to support himself from the inside would be the water.
His body was constantly drying up, before getting wet again.
This created a situation where his bones kept aching and healing in tow.
Which was why Ezra thought of training, because his body was being tempered in an odd way.
'Wait, training!' Ezra realized he might be taking his imaginary scenario too seriously.
'I can't attack, no, I can't even touch him at my current level' Ezra thought more realistically.
'Then…what can I do?' he thought as he looked at his body, his blood, mana and aura.
'Wait, aura! That's it!' the realization dawned on him and he moved into action.